Trees are important in my family so I found this holiday to be particularly interesting. My father was a forestry major in college so I can remember many a long walk where he pointed out different types of trees to me and told me what they were good for. Unfortunately, none of the tree names stuck – but the respect for trees did stick.

In the 1950s, the Korean War was not kind to the environment. Deforestation and the general destructions of war, resulted in the loss of a massive quantity of trees. So, in order to make things right, the Korean government made April 5 a national holiday.

This is an easy day for us to observe no matter where you live. Here are some ideas:

• Plant a tree: You can plant a little tree in your yard or somewhere else (as long as you have permission). Your child can help take care of it and watch it grow.
• Learn about trees: Find a book in the library about identifying trees, take a nature walk and try to figure out what each tree is. (This is probably easier after the leaves come in.)
• Read "The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein: I’m just throwing this one in because I love the book.
• Learn about conservation: Discuss ways that your child can help save trees.
• Take a walk: Go for a walk on a nature trail. This might be a good time to talk about other important issues.
• Tree crafts: Have your child make a picture of trees or any other tree craft you can think of. You may be able to use fallen twigs to build something interesting.

Though Arbor Day is often observed on the last Friday of April in the United States, each state celebrates it on their own date (due to planting times, etc…). Here is a link to a list of state Arbor days (http://www.arbor-day.net/arbor-day-state-dates.htm).

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